New releases of fantasy and science fiction for children and teenagers, the middle and end of December edition

Here are the new releases of fantasy and science fiction books for children and teenagers, from the middle to the end of December. There are many here that I'm looking forward too; in particular, I want The Ever Breath, by Julianna Baggott--when I read The Prince of Fenway Park for the Cybils, I added her to my mental list of "authors whose future books I will automatically read."


For nine to twelve year-olds:

A Different Day, A Different Destiny (The Snipesville Chronicles, Book 2), by Annette Laing. "When you wake up in the year 1851 on a Scottish hillside...Or in an English coal mine...Or on a plantation in the Deep South, you know you re in for a bad day. Nothing for Hannah and Alex Dias has been normal since they moved from San Francisco to the little town of Snipesville, Georgia. Bad enough that they and their dorky new friend Brandon became reluctant time-travellers to World War Two England. Oh, sure, they made it home safely (just) but now things are about to get worse. Much worse. From the cotton fields of the Slave South to London's glittering Crystal Palace, the kids chase a lost piece of twenty-first century technology in the mid-nineteenth century. But finding it is only the beginning of what they must do to heal Time."

Doctor Proctor's Fart Powder, by Jo Nesbo. "Nilly is new to the neighborhood, but he is quick to make friends: Doctor Proctor, an eccentric professor; and Lisa, who is teased by the twin terrors Truls and Trym. Nilly and Lisa help Doctor Proctor develop his latest invention, a powder that makes you fart. The powder makes Nilly and Lisa very popular at school when they sell it for fifty cents a bag. And they get revenge on Truls and Trym by giving them a dose of extra-strength fart powder that shoots them up into a tree. All is good farty fun. Until someone steals the industrial-strength fart powder -- which was supposed to make Doctor Proctor famous -- to use for evil purposes...."

The Ever Breath, by Julianna Baggott. "In a world where locust fairies flutter and firebreathers burst from snowbanks, two children are having the adventure of their lives. Truman and his twin sister, Camille, have just met their grandmother . . . and she’s a little strange. She whispers a tale about something called the Ever Breath, an amber orb that maintains the balance between our world and a dreamy one of imagination—and evil. Soon Truman and Camille find themselves in the Breath World, a magical place where ogres clash and a mouse holds the key to a mystery. Some creatures want to help them—and some want them D-E-A-D. That’s because the Ever Breath has been stolen, and an epic battle is raging to bring it safely back. Can the twins save not only one world—but two?"

Gamers' Quest, by George Ivanoff Tark and Zyra are teenaged thieves on a quest. In a world of magic and science, where dragons and mages exist alongside drones and lasers, they endeavor to reach the haven of Designers' Paradise. But their world is not what it appears to be and their haven is about to come under threat of destruction. Can Tark and Zyra save Designers' Paradise ... and their own world?



Hat Trick, by Jason M. Burns. "Hat Trick follows the adventures of Ray, a would-be magician who is introduced to a world of magic through his famous uncle's top hat. With the help of a few of the world's inhabitants, including a six-foot tall talking rabbit named Poof, Ray must uncover his true potential and defeat the evil that is enslaving the world."



I So Don't Do Spooky, by Barrie Summy. "Did you know that the main campus of the Academy of Spirits is at a Dairy Queen in Phoenix? Me either. Until now. Some weird stuff has been happening to my stepmother, Paula, and the Academy has asked me, Sherry Holmes Baldwin, to get to the bottom of it. They think someone’s trying to hurt her. I really don’t want to get involved—my life is way too busy. Josh and I are celebrating two blissful months of togetherness. And my best friend, Junie, is finally showing a teeny bit of interest in clothes and makeup after years of brainiac behavior. But being that my mom is a ghost and all, me, my brother, and my dad rely on Paula a lot. So it’s not like I can just ignore what’s going on. Especially since my mom is competing at the Ghostlympics. If she comes in first place, she earns five minutes of Real Time. And that means I’ve got to get involved in a creepy, freaky mystery."

The Jungle Vampire (Awfully Beastly Business), by Dave Sinden, Matthew Morgan, & Guy Macdonald. "Ulf the werewolf is training to become an official Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Beasts (RSPCB) agent. His mission takes him to the jungle in search of a legendary jungle vampire. But the evil Baron Marackai is hot on his trail. Can Ulf and his friends find the vampire first? The future of the RSPCB depends on it...."


Lone Wolf (Wolves of the Beyond), by Kathryn Lasky. ''A wolf mother has given birth, but the warm bundle snuffling next to her brings only anguish. The pup, otherwise healthy, has a twisted leg, and the mother knows what the harsh code of the pack demands. Her pup will be taken from her and abandoned on a desolate hill. The pack cannot have weakness - the wolf mother knows that her pup is condemned to die.But alone in the wilderness, the pup, Faolan, does not perish. This his story - a story of survival, of courage, and of love triumphant. This is Faolan's story, the wolf pup who rose up to change forevever the Wolves of the Beyond."

Pathways to Adventure, by Sandra June Upchurch. "How Angie, Alexis, and James came to be in the same mysterious forest at the same time is as big a mystery to them as it is to anyone else. They soon find themselves entangled in bizarre, other-worldly encounters with talking animals, giant, predatory spiders, and numerous strange pathways, none of which seems to lead back home! Join these adolescents on their odd adventures as each new path they take leads them to some new and daunting challenge. Will they ever find their way back home? Find out in Pathways to Adventure."

Song #3 (The Mysterious Mr. Spines), by Jason Lethcoe. "The third and final book in this series. "Edward McLeod is almost at the end of his journey. He has battled his way through the afterlife, mastered his Guardian powers, and even learned how to fly. Now he must take on the Jackal and fight for all of the trapped souls in the Woodbine. But the Jackal and his formidable army will not be easy to defeat. Is Edward really the destined “Bridge Builder” or will he too fall to the Jackal’s evil forces?"

RuneWarriors: Sword of Doom, by James Jennewein & Tom S. Parker. "Can life get any worse for Dane the Defiant? The same villagers who once praised him for his courage in defeating Thidrek the Terrifying now blame him for everything that has gone wrong since then: The torrential downpours. The dwindling food supplies. Even the rampant outbreaks of armpit lice. Dane's deceased father would never have let things get so bad, the village elders say. But then Dane is summoned to the fortress of King Eldred, where he receives the final piece of his father's legacy: an ancient secret written in mysterious runes that leads to no less than the treasure of the gods. But the treasure, he learns, is cursed, and his mother is kidnapped. And so, braving an army of angry trolls and warring frost giants (and other fantastic creatures there isn't space here to describe), Dane and his friends must decipher the cryptic clues and embark on a quest to find the enchanted treasure and save her life. Oh, and all the while battling ultimate evil. Can Dane be the hero he has always wanted to be? Or will he fall prey to the curse and betray those he loves?

A Whole Nother Story, by Dr. Cuthbert Soup. "The three Cheeseman children, their father, and their psychic dog are all on the run. From whom? Well the CIA, naturally. But also corporate agents #5, #29, and # 207, plus two international superspies -- one of whom happens to be a chimpanzee. They all want Dr. Cheeseman and his late wife's greatest invention–a machine with unspeakable powers–OK, I'll say it. It's a time machine. But it's not working right yet, so put all ideas of time travel out of your head. Instead, please enjoy this high stakes, high action, hijinx-filled chase, and the bizarre characters our Cheeseman friends will meet as they protect not just their parents' invention, but their mother's sacred memory. It's an adventure novel like no other."


Young Adult:

The Dark Divine, by Bree Despain. ''Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held. The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.
The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.''

Dark Hunter (Villain.net), by Andy Briggs. ''When a mysterious benefactor springs him from Diablo Island penitentiary, Jake Hunter is back on the run, trying to locate the man who wiped out his family’s memories of him and dodging the efforts of the hero Chameleon to track him down. Unfortunately, his benefactor wants something in return—for Jake to kidnap the president of the United States. Sure, Jake’s the most powerful supervillain on earth, but will the ordinary schoolkid in him be up to the deadly challenge? Dark Hunter is an action-packed adventure, full of even more dastardly villains and exciting showdowns and intricately linked to the anti-series, Hero.com.''

Darklight (Wondrous Strange), by Lesley Livingston. ''Faerie can't lie . . . or can they? Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was a Faerie princess, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved the mortal realm from the ravages of the Wild Hunt. Now Kelley is stuck in New York City, rehearsing Romeo and Juliet and missing Sonny more with every stage kiss, while Sonny has been forced back to the Otherworld and into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the remaining Hunters and Queen Mabh herself. When a terrifying encounter sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful but destined to be cut short. An ancient, hidden magick is stirring, and a dangerous new enemy is willing to risk everything to claim that power. Caught in a web of Faerie deception and shifting allegiances, Kelley and Sonny must tread carefully, for each next step could topple a kingdom . . . or tear them apart.''

Fallen, by Lauren Kate. "There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her."

Hearts at Stake: The Drake Chronicles, by Alyxandra Harvey-Fitzhenry. ''On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black—agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family. Luckily she has her own secret weapon—her human best friend Lucy—who is willing to defend Solange’s right to a normal life, whether she’s being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange’s eternal life—Lucy and Solange’s brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black—in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump start any romance-lover’s heart.''

Magic Under Glass, by Jaclyn Dolamore. ''Nimira is a foreign music-hall girl forced to dance for mere pennies. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to sing with a piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new and better life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets are beginning to stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumors swirl about ghosts, a madwoman roaming the halls, and Parry's involvement with a league of sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. Then Nimira discovers the spirit of a fairy gentleman named Erris is trapped inside the clockwork automaton, waiting for someone to break his curse. The two fall into a love that seems hopeless, and breaking the curse becomes a race against time, as not just their love, but the fate of the entire magical world may be in peril.

My Soul to Save (Harlequin Teen), by Rachel Vincent. "When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies. So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn't wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can't cry for someone who has no soul. The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad's ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend's loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can't possibly understand. Kaylee can't let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk…."

Stupid Cupid, by Rhonda Stapleton. ''Felicity's no ordinary teen matchmaker...she's a cupid! Felicity Walker believes in true love. That's why she applies for a gig at the matchmaking company Cupid's Hollow. But when Felicity gets the job, she learns that she isn't just a matchmaker...she's a cupid! (There's more than one of them, you know.) Armed with a hot pink, tricked-out PDA infused with the latest in cupid magic (love arrows shot through email), Felicity works to meet her quota of successful matches. But when she bends the rules of cupidity by matching her best friend Maya with three different boys at once, disaster strikes. Felicity needs to come up with a plan to set it all right, pronto, before she gets fired?and before Maya ends up with her heart split in three.''

Virus Attack (Hero.com), by Andy Briggs. ''The villain Basilisk is back, and his nefarious plan to infiltrate Hero.com and take it offline has worked—leaving Toby, Pete, Lorna, and Emily as the only Downloaders left on the planet! It’s up to the four friends to stop Basilisk before his computer virus completely destroys the Hero Foundation . . . but with glitchy, short-circuiting powers and some contention among their ranks, it’ll be no simple task to outwit, outpace, and outplot the evil mastermind. Virus Attack is an action-packed adventure, full of even more creative and exciting powers and intricately linked to the anti-series, Villian.net.''

The Shadow Project, by Herbie Brennan. ''Danny Lipman is a thief . . . until one night he robs the wrong house. He inadvertently breaks into the headquarters of the Shadow Project, a secret government organization where teenage spies are trained to leave their bodies, using astral projection to travel around the world on deadly missions. Danny is captured, but the Project leaders quickly realize he has a special gift. And when a key operative—the director's daughter, Opal—goes missing, he is offered a choice: join the Shadow Project or go to jail.''

Witch & Wizard, by James Patterson & Gabrielle Charbonnet. "The world is changing: the government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now, kids are disappearing. For 15-year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside down when they are torn from their parents one night and slammed into a secret prison for no reason they can comprehend. The New Order, as it is known, is clearly trying to suppress Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager. But while trapped in this totalitarian nightmare, Wisty and Whit discover they have incredible powers they'd never dreamed of. Can this newly minted witch and wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents--and maybe the world?"

The books I gave, and the books I got

I was rather surprised (although I shouldn't have been) to find that I didn't have any time to write long and thoughtful reviews etc in the last few days....t0o many children all under one roof (six, aged 9-5, all but one boys), and trees fallen on the house (well, just one, but it was enough), and all the snow to play in and cookies to make and all the other Christmas stuff...

But now things are a bit more peaceful, since there is nothing left to Do (although I still lack the focus that reviews require). So here is a simple list of the books that I gave, and the books I was very glad to get.

Books I gave:

For my six year-old boy:
Neo Leo: The Ageless Ideas of Leonardo da Vinci, by Gene Barretta
Hot Hot Hot, by Neil Layton (a picture book about woolly mammoths Oscar and Arabella)
The Squirrel's Birthday, and Other Parties, by Toon Tellegen
The Riddle of the Floating Island, by Paul Cox (a book in a series about the adventures of Archibald the Koala on Rastepappe Island).


For my 9 year-old boy:

How to be a Genius: Your Brain and How to Train It, by John Woodward
The Case of the Botched Book, by Paul Cox (another Archibald the Koala book)
Tollins: Explosive Tales for Children, by Conn Iggulden
The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook, by Eleanor Davis

For my husband:

Leavings, by Wendell Berry (a lot of people must have gotten this for Christmas, because it's now out of stock at Amazon).
Gentlemen of the Road, and Maps and Legends, by Michael Chabon

For my mother:
Kaleidoscope, by Dorothy Gilman

For my father:
Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris

For my little sister:
The Encircled Heart, by Josephine Elder (a novel for adults by a British Girls' School story author).

For my big sister:
A Brief History of Montmaray, by Michelle Cooper

Books I got:

All Summer Through, by Malcolm Saville (1951). The summer vacation of a group of English children.

Rescue in Ravensdale, by Esme Cartmell (1946). English children strike a blow against the Nazis (I think). The jacket makes a point of describing it as "A girl's story, from a boy's point of view," I guess so that readers like myself, who like "girl's stories,"aren't put off by the boy narrator...

Wishing for Tomorrow, by Hilary McKay (just published!) The sequel to A Little Princess, which I know by heart...I am looking forward to this one very much! I got the British edition, (because it doesn't come out here in the US until January).

Waterslain Angels, by Kevin Crossley-Holland (2009). Angels are missing from the roof of a church in Norfolk; two children must solve the mystery.

Fire, by Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson (2009), and Chalice, by Robin McKinley (2008), which I only had an ARC of. Robin McKinley is one of the rather small number of authors whose books I have to have all of.

Aren't they nice books to get?

This Week's Roundup of Middle Grade Science Fiction and Fantasy

Here are the middle grade science fiction and fantasy related reviews posts (that I found, at any rate) from around the blogosphere this week! I would be very happy to add more links, so please leave a comment or email me if you have anything more to add.

Reviews:

Oceanology, at Charlotte's Library.

The Serial Garden, by Joan Aiken, at Eva's Book Addiction.

Toby Alone, by Timothee de Fombell, at Eva's Book Addiction

When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead, at Biblio File.

Here's an interview with Donna St. Cyr, author of The Secrets of the Cheese Syndicate, at Cynsations.

At 3T reviews, you can find this list of book suggestions for spirited girls, which includes some fine fantasy, and I compiled this list of the fantasy books my nine-year old son liked best this year.

Spending the day at home with books, Christmasy and otherwise

I did not travel today, as I had hoped to do, because the Baltimore airport was shut down. So instead I sat in front of the fire and read. I now have three fewer books to take with me, which will make life easier. And I read Olive the Other Reindeer out loud twice, and other assorted Christmas books.

Here's what they (the children) like--books about the twelve days of Christmas. Me, not so much. I feel like I got the point years ago. On the other hand, there's a rather lovely new edition of The Twelve Days of Christmas, by Gennady Spirin, that has lovely, lovely illustrations. I am gracefully working this particular book into this post because I got a review copy of it from the publisher, Marshall Cavendish, and even though it is not On Topic for my blog, it's a book worthy of mention because it is so pretty. Their favorite 12 Days book is Hilary Knight's take on it, which is fun, but after the 20th time I felt I had picked up on all the amusing details in the illustrations.

My favorite version is The Thirteen Days of Christmas, by Jenny Overton (1987), a retelling of the song as a funny and ultimately rather moving romance, set in an olde English town (Regency, I think). It makes a lovely Christmas read-aloud for older children. It almost qualifies as a fantasy, of the absurd sub-genre type, in as much as the gifts are of such unbelievably epic proportions, difficult to cope with in real life. I do not want that many swans, swimming or otherwise. And two boys jumping on the beds is plenty of leaping.

Anyway. I sat rather close to the fire (as noted above) because our boiler was not working and there was no other heat (I thought a lot about Life As We Knew It, as I always do when we don't have the heat on--in case you haven't read it, the folks in that book have no heat either, because of desperate catastrophe). Fortunately a. children don't feel the cold as much as grownups, so weren't competing with me for prime real estate and b. the plumber was able to solve the problem. When our new hot water heater was installed, that plumber must have thought that the water pipe leading to the boiler was a decorative accessory, and took it away with him. Sigh. But at least, since it was the same company, we didn't have to pay anything.

I still have tomorrow morning to read and blog peacefully, but I do hope the airport here isn't shut down. I don't think I'll run out of books to read, but it would be nice to be at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Even though a tree just fell on it. Through the roof (but mercifully not the ceiling) of the guest room.

Travelling with books

Tomorrow I am flying down to Virginia, where twenty inches of snow might be waiting. I'm on the first plane of the morning, so we should make it at least to the metro stop where my mother picks me up...but tomorrow, will I have to walk the last mile in the driving wind through the deep snow?

I wouldn't mind so much, but, as usual, I am travelling with my too-be-read pile. Little do my sweet little boys know that Mama is going to slip hardcover books of her own into their carefully packed backpacks...If Mama had been planning, back when she started her Cybils reading, she would have read all the heaviest books first, and saved the paperbacks for last, knowing that Christmas was just around the corner. But no.

So our path from the subway stop to Grandma's might be marked by a trail of abandoned books, as our strength fails and night comes one...

However, some progress is being made. One mistake I am not ever ever ever going to make again is the brown paper shopping bag mistake. Even the sturdiest of paper bags gives way before the power of the hardcover book. I am very grateful to the green movement for providing us with a multitude of canvas bags. Much better.

Fantasy books my nine-year old boy loved this past year

(edited to add:  here's a more recent list of fantasy books I'd recommend to a nine-year old boy)

My nine-year old is a picky reader. When he has a book that he wants to read, he reads it, deaf to the world. But in between those books are days upon days when nothing suits him. Like someone taming a wild animal, I leave books scattered around the house, hoping that one or two will be acceptable offerings....

So for parents of children such as mine, who love reading fantasy but aren't quite ready for the big-time tomes such as Harry Potter, here's a quick list of some of the books that truly clicked for him this past year.

The Last Dragon (Dragon Speaker, 1), by Cheryl Rainfield. A medieval adventure that is purposfully written to combine high interest with a low reading level (my review).

Keyholders #1: This Side of Magic, and its three sequels, by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones. Two ordinary kids get caught up in a world of magic (my review).

The Daring Adventures of Penhaligon Brush, by S. Jones Rogan. The story of a brave fox (my son's thoughts at his own blog.)

Flight of the Phoenix (Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist, Book I), by R.L. La Fevers. A young boy finds that he is one of a long line of beastiologistis, and sets out with his aunt on a fantastic quest. A fun and fascinating read, with a tremdously appealing cover to boot.

Odd and the Frost Giants, by Neil Gaimen. A brave boy faces a frost giant who has transformed the most powerful of the Viking gods into animals (my review).

Rapunzel's Revenge, by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, and Nathan Hale. Rapunzul's free at last--and she wants revenge! A great graphic novel.

And most recently, and rather surprisingly, the three volumes of The Chronicles of Kendra Kandlestar, by Lee Edward Fodi. Volume three of this series, Kendra Kandlestar and the Shard From Greeve (Brown Books, 2009, 328 pp) was nominated for the Cybils, and a review copy came my way. Of the multitudes of middle grade fantasy books that filled our house this fall, this was the one that attracted my son's attention the most. So I got him the first two books (Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers is the first one)....and he was hooked. These are indeed beautiful books as physical objects--substantial, slightly oversized, illustrated. And even though I would not have gotten them for him myself (because they look like girl books) he loves them. I've read the third book (for the Cybils); come January I'll try to write a real review....

In the meantime, I have to get back to my own reading....twelve more books to go for the Cybils! (and speaking of which, the Amazon links here are set up to benefit the Cybils).

Oceanology, a Fantasy Book for Non-fiction Monday

Just about everyone looking for Gift Books for the Young has probably considered, or even bought, one of the "-0logy" books--Dragonology, Piratology, Monsterology, etc. For the most part, these are fantasy in the guise of non-fiction--the imaginary presented as if it were real.

Oceanology: The True Account of the Voyage of the Nautilus (Candlewick 2009) is slightly different. It is a gorgeous presentation, both in words and in lovely faux 19th-century illustrations, of facts about the ocean, embedded within a fantastical narrative.

The information (touching on such diverse topics as types of coral, the movement of the planet's plates, and the installation of the transatlantic telegraph cable) is presented as sidebars to the journal of a young boy who finds himself voyaging with Captain Nemo (of Twenty thousand Leagues Under the Sea fame). It is a rather gripping story (although I don't think it's quite enough of one to work as a stand-alone). The boy's wonder at all the strange things he sees, and his excitement as the ship explores uncharted realms below the waves, gradually gives way to terror as he realizes that the Captain is insane, and has no plans to return to dry land.

There's a lot here for the reader who has a fondness both for fantasy and science, whether child or adult. Of all the -ology books, this is the one I think has most appeal for the adult reader (and not just the Jules Verne fan). It's a beautiful book, with lots to look at and learn from.

My only caveat is that for younger readers, this might have to be a read-aloud, because it's written in cursive...but, having read it aloud myself, I can promise that it is a rather pleasantly engrossing experience for the adult as well as the child. The narrative tends to get lost in the excitement of flaps to lift and strange sea creatures to read about, but the story can wait till later, when they are old enough to read it for themselves...

And then they will want a copy of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

Oceanology has been nominated for the Cybils in the middle grade science fiction and fantasy category, for which I am a panelist, and my review copy was generously supplied by the publisher.

The Non-fiction Monday Roundup is hosted by In Need of Chocolate today!

This Sunday's Roundup of Middle-Grade Science fiction and fantasy, with bonus Squid!

Here is this week's round up of middle-grade fantasy and science fiction review and sundries from around the blogosphere. Please let me know if I missed anything!

Damsel, by S.E. Connolly, at Charlotte's Library.

The Entertainer and the Dybbuk, by Sid Fleischman, at the Owl in the Library.

I So Don't Do Spooky, by Barrie Summy, at TheHappyNappyBookseller, and also an interview with the author.

Raider's Ransom, by Emily Diamond, at Fuse #8.

The Secret of Zoom, by Lynne Jonell, at Charlotte's Library.

Spellbinder, by Helen Stringer at the Owl in the Library.

Kate at Book Aunt has compiled a most excellent list of the best middle grade fantasy from the past 110, including her top ten for the 2000s-- lots of fantasy!

At Boys Rule Boys Read! you will find Kringle, Lost Worlds, Frost Giants and the Incredible Power of Reading.

At Cynsations, here's an interview with K.A. Holt, author of Mike Stellar: Nerves of Steel. (Mike Stellar is that very rare sort of book--space-based science fiction for kids, and is a darned good read).

And here's an interview with Kate DiCamillo at Reading Rockets.

Finally, Small Beer Press became one of my favorite publishers when they brought out The Serial Garden, a complete collection of the Armitage stories by Joan Aiken (here's my review). They are currently having a special sale, where a dollar from every book sold goes to the Franciscan Children's Hospital, so now would be an excellent time to buy this absolutely wonderful book!

And even more finally, anyone who might find the juxtaposition of squids and Victorian Christmas cards interesting please do go read this fascinating article on sugarplum steampunk!

The Secret of Zoom, by Lynne Jonell

The Secret of Zoom (Henry Holt, middle-grade, 2009, 291pp) by Lynne Jonell (author of Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat).

Ten-year old Christina lives a boring and lonely life in an old stone mansion on the edge of a hill. Looking down, she can see school children playing games she's never had a chance to join in on. Looking up, she can see the hills and forests that hide Loompski Labs, where her father works. It was in one of those labs that an explosion claimed her mother's life, and since then she's been kept Safe by her well-intentioned but distant father.

But one day an orphan boy named Taft snatches a few precious moments from his work as a trash collector to ask her a question, and her life changes.

"Have you found the tunnel yet?"

So Christina hunts for the tunnel that is supposed to lead from her home up toward the hills. And when Taft makes a daring escape from the mysterious compound full of orphans where he has lived for years, he seeks refuge with Christina, and the two begin a perilous journey of adventure and discovery below ground...

What sinister fate awaits the orphans, carted up into the hills inside garbage trucks by sinister Lenny Loompski? What is the explosive secret of Zoom, the strange, magical metal with which Lenny is obsessed? Can the two plucky children turn the Zoom to their own purposes in time to foil Lenny and save the orphans?

The Secret of Zoom is reminiscent of Joan Aiken's books-- it's an entertaining adventure with a plucky heroine, and has a plot that, while not exactly absurd, goes well beyond what is credible and common-sensical (as the cover art suggests). School Library Journal named it one of their best 100 books of 2009; I personally wouldn't go that far (perhaps because I think it has more kid appeal than grown-up reader appeal). But I can easily imagine this somewhat charmingly eccentric story captivating younger readers--it's a fast, relatively easy read that offers an interesting take on the familiar plot of parentless children bravely thwarting the bad guy.

You can read an excerpt of the book here.

Harper Collins has made the first two chapters of Conspiracy of Kings available!

Here at the Harper Collins website are the first two chapters of Megan Whalen Turner's new book, A Conspiracy of Kings.

(Now I sort of wish my ARC wasn't in the mail heading off to the west...I sort of want to read it all again....)

But as it happens, I'm reading another conspiracy book that's very good--The Lost Conspiracy, by Frances Hardinge.

And just for the heck of it, another fun one is The Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones.


Both of these might well be enjoyed by MWT fans!

Damsel, by S. E. Connolly

If you are looking for a fun, fast book to give to a nine or ten-year old who loves fairy tales and quests, Damsel, by S.E. Connolly (Mercier Press, 2009, 156pp), is a good choice!

Annie's father is a hero. After Annie's little brother was born, he'd promised his family that he'd give up his hero-ish ways, and settle down, but that was before the wizard Greenlott started terrorizing the kingdom. A shortage of heroes meant that he had to set off again...but now he hasn't come back.

Ten-year old Annie knows she's no hero. Many's the time her father had said she'd make an excellent damsel someday. But even a damsel-to-be has to take action when things get desperate, so Annie takes off to save her father, his big book of hero tips under her arm.

"A hero is a man who continues to try, even when all hope seems to be gone," the book advises (page 12). Annie knows she's "just" a girl, but still she has the guts to try.

And almost before she knows it, she's saving young Roger, a putative prince, from death by giant spider, and escaping (with Roger's help) a nastily amorous frog prince. Then the two of them, both determined to be as heroic as a servant boy and a damsel can be, must work together to face down a dragon...and foil the evil wizard.

Annie's bold quest is a humorous and engagingly written journey of adventure and self-discovery. It's not a book I'd recommend to the adult reader of middle grade fiction, who might not find the story sufficiently deep or original for their own reading pleasure, but it's a very good one for its intended audience. The younger reader who dreams of days of yore when knights were bold should enjoy it a lot, and might also find it delightful to learn that damsels can do more than toss their hair and shriek prettily.

Parents of girls defying gender stereotypes, or parents of servant boys who long for greater things, might want to put this one in their children's hands.

Note--the giant spiders are a bit scary, and the frog prince a bit disturbing, but there isn't anything that should be troubling to the savvy 8 or 9 year-old. Here's the spider gore:

"Annie!" roared Roger. "Look out for the..."

Annie brought the sword down sharply and it slid right in between the spider's head and midsection.

"Goo!"

As the spider screamed and slumped down, a fountain of green and brown slime erupted from the wound Annie had made and covered her from head to toe.

"There was a warning on the next page of the book," said Roger quietly. (page 43)

Damsel has been nominated for the Cybils Awards in the middle-grade science fiction and fantasy category, and the publisher graciously sent review copies all the way from Ireland! Thanks.

postscript: "I could see it happening," my nine-year old son commented. "There are tons of tomboys running around." And now I am wondering if this is good (he finds it plausible) or bad--is the "tomboy girl" a stereotype in its own right that needs to be defied? Which this book does, in fact, do-- Annie is not particularly "tomboyish," just smart and gutsy. Likewise Princess Meg, in Kate Coombs' Runaway Princess and Runaway Dragon, which I also just read for the Cybils (my review).

A list of book recommendations by and for fans of Megan Whalen Turner

When I gave away my ARC of A Conspiracy of Kings, by Megan Whalen Turner (coming out this March), I asked that everyone who entered recommend books for us fans of the Queen’s Thief series to read while we waited for spring...and beyond (d.v.).

Here is the list that resulted from those comments, organized by author. There’s lots of fantasy, some historical fiction, a bit of sci fi, and a bit of straight young adult, and a smidge of adult fiction. There are authors I love, authors who have been on my own to-be-read list for years, and authors I've never heard of. In these books you have been promised great characterization, great political intrigue, great writing, and quite a few thieves….

Lloyd Alexander
"The Westmark Trilogy....deconstructs fantasy tropes magnificently, and it's full of court intrigue, revolutionaries, infighting, war, betrayal, and realistic well thought out political maneuvering. It gets at the philosophical heart of much high fantasy in the same way MWT's books do with the Gods and Goddesses. There's also no magic, so it has a similar feel to the Thief books."

Isabella Allende
Ines of My Soul "a spectacular read"

Avi
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Pam Bachorz
Candor

Ellen Booraem
The Unnamables. "It's not quite as complex as Turner's stuff, but it still gives the reader a whole lot to think about while defying her expectations."

Libba Bray
A Great and Terrible Beauty

Sarah Rees Brennan
The Demon's Lexicon. "Which is the only other book for which I belong to an LJ community that I don't write fanfiction for. Well written, witty, fast paced, and with a punch to the gut ending with just the right amount of foreshadowing. Brennan is like Turner, one of the few writers who can really pull off a surprise ending."

Patricia Briggs
“[The] Mercedes Thompson series, about a skinwalker who shifts into coyote form, puts me in mind of Gen as well. Mercedes has a flexible mind, like Gen.”

Lois McMaster Bujold
“The Miles Vorkosigan books….are my favourite books along with MWT's. She writes such awesome characters.” And another commenter opined that the Vorkosigan books "have an amazing cast of characters, intriguing plots, and amazing writing. Miles' forward momentum often reminds me of Gen." A helpful commenter adds: "Several people have suggested newcomers to the Vorkosigan books to start with Cordelia's Honor, but I would suggest starting with Young Miles."
"The Curse of Chalion....(along with its sequel, Paladin of Souls, not to mention the Sharing Knife series)" "The gods in this book and their relationship with humans are particularly well done."

Meg Burden
Northlander. "Great debut novel with a sequel (The King Commands) coming out shortly."

Orson Scott Card
Ender's Game.

Kristin Cashore
"An author who writes great female characters...Her books Graceling and Fire are both excellent."

Susanna Clarke
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell-"an exhausting, exhaustive book but truly well worth the time invested. If Jane Austen was badass enough to write gutsy fantasy, this would be it."

Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games and sequel Catching Fire

Alison Croggon
The Pellinor series

Sarah Dessen
Keeping the Moon a.k.a. Last Chance, The Truth About Forever, Just Listen, Lock and Key

Diane Duane
So You Want To Be A Wizard series (Wizard's Holiday & Wizards at War being by far the best).

Clare Dunkle
The Hollow Kingdom trilogy. "It's a delicious, fast read, with a strangely charismatic main character!"

Dorothy Dunnet (MWT is herself a fan of Dunnet)
“The Lymond Chronicles….my favourite books of all time featuring a brilliant but tortured hero and plenty of political intrigue. They're a challenging read but I can't rec them highly enough.”

David Anthony Durham
Acacia

David Eddings
'The Belgariad' "just a really great, fun read - followed by 'The Malloreon' which isn't as good but you just HAVE to keep reading because you love the characters so much."

Nancy Farmer
A Girl Named Disaster and The Eye, The Ear and The Arm "for readers who like historical elements with a bit of supernatural intervention." Also House of the Scorpions--a "spectacular read"

Lorna Freeman
Covenants

Catherine Fisher
"Incarceron....has a good mix of political intrigue, action, and excellent world-building. For me, MWT is all about the characters and about providing a story that is much deeper and twistier then it initially appears, and this book fits in that mold."

Lynn Flewelling
The Nightrunner series. "That's one of my favourites for fantasy/politics/thievery rolled in one."

Phil and Kaja Foglio
The Girl Genius series. "The series itself is a webcomic though it does have collected volumes, which currently numbers eight. The main character is a lovely blend of strong sympathetic heroine and mad scientist. The main romance especially reminds me of MWT as the lovers in question have both political obstacles and trust issues."

Neil Gaiman
"....especially Anansi Boys- about the son of a trickster god." "Any and all works by Neil Gaiman ('American Gods' is very dark, 'Anansi Boys' is lighter but still somewhat dark, 'Neverwhere' is just a fantastic romp in underground London)."

Jessica Day George
Dragon Slippers trilogy

William Goldman
The Princess Bride. "I think Gen and Wesley are quite similar."

Joanne Harris
Runemarks [I second this one-a complex story involving the Norse gods]

Shannon Hale
The "Books of Bayern" (several recommendations came in for the Goose Girl et seq)

Frank Herbert
"Turner's genius for excellent characters is what keeps me coming back for more and another book that does that for me regarding great characters is Dune."

Robin Hobb
The Assassins Trilogy and Tawny Man Trilogy "both star Fitz, who has some Gen-like qualities, and happen to be amazing sets of books. The Liveship Trilogy goes in between them, and is also fantastic."

Tanya Huff
The Valor books (Valor's Choice, The Better Part of Valor, Heart of Valor, Valor's Trial and a fifth book to come). They're sci-fi and a great deal more "genre-y" than MWT's stuff, but lovely none the less. They have interesting plots that include action, intrigue, romance, and one of the best main characters of all time. I don't know if I want to be Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr or marry her.

Diana Wynne Jones
"Howl's Moving Castle is the obvious one, but I think MWT's fans would enjoy the Dalemark Quartet and Deep Secret as well." "Howl's Moving Castle. Sometimes Howl reminds me of Gen when he's in his moody phases. :D"
"Dianna Wynne Jones is an author that MWT herself recommends (In the extras in the back of The Thief, if you have the right edition.) All of her books are unpredictable and original. Nothing is ever what it seems. Everybody has heard of Howl's Moving Castle, but she has written other stuff besides our beloved Howl, including sequels: Castle in the Air, and House of Many Ways. Both of which are just as clever and hilarious as the first Howl. One of the funniest she's ever written is Tough Guide to Fantasyland...."

Patrice Kindl
Goose Chase. It's an interesting twist on typical fairy tales, and the voice of the main character reminds me of Gen.

Laurie R. King
The Mary Russell series "for wit."

Kate Klise
Letters from Camp. "It's one of those books that sucked me in when I first read it, and still hooks me every time."

Kate and Sarah Klise
"Regarding the Fountain: A Tale In Letters of Liars and Leaks. I'm recommending it because of the way the plot fits together in the end of all of the books in this series."

Steve Kluger
Last Days of Summer. "It isn't fantasy, but it has an extremely unreliable narrator (read: compulsive liar) whom I love to bits."

Stephen Lawhead
The King Raven trilogy--Hood, Scarlet, and Tuck. "The legend of Robin Hood set in Medieval Wales, it's a really wonderful retelling that follows the basic plot while adding a new insight into the legend. Every so often this Robin Hood (Rhi Bran in Welsh) reminds me of Gen."
And also The Song of Albion Trilogy.

Harper Lee
To Kill A Mockingbird. "I usually like fantasy better, but I loved this one."

Ursula K. LeGuin
The Earthsea trilogy--"a good deal more philosophical and painstaking in its plot progression than the usual fantasy fare but haunting and beautiful." [to which I add a recommendation for Four Ways to Forgiveness--beautifully written character-driven political intrigue]

C.S. Lewis
Till We Have Faces "This one would be for the older fans. It seems like a straight forward enough story, until the twist at the end. There are gods and queens and small kingdom politics."

Margaret Lovett
The Great and Terrible Quest

Barry Lyga
Any of his books

Scott Lynch
'The Lies of Locke Lamora' and its sequel 'Red Seas Under Red Skies'. "The main character, Locke, is a similar thief to Eugenides but due to his upbringing (and not having a Eddis or father) is a much rougher and dangerous sort. The worldbuilding is fantastic in these novels, the politics rich and intriguing and the characters are vividly drawn that you can't help but want to desperately know what happens to them next."

Margaret Mahy
"Changeover, because it's also very well written. (It's an early, superior example of a YA paranormal.)"

Anything by Melina Marchetta

Juliet Marillier
Wildwood Dancing. "Beautiful prose, an unconventional love story, a sensible heroine, and a villain who will make you want to scream with anger." [to which I add--the sequel, Cybil's Secret, is even better and has gods and and tricksy people and is thus more MWTish]

Yann Martel
"My favorite part of [MWT's] books is her ability to weave twists and turns into the plot that are both unexpected and yet entirely plausible. With that in mind, I'd recommend Life of Pi...."

George RR Martin"A Song of Ice and Fire" series "if you're nuts enough to start an unfinished series set in a world where no one is safe and few people are as easily defined as they might at first seem."

Patricia McKillip
The Riddle-Master trilogy. “Or, frankly, anything else by her. Winter Rose (a variation on Tam Lin) and In the Forests of Serre (inspired by the Firebird legend) are two of my favorites.”

Robin McKinley
The Blue Sword and The Outlaws of Sherwood.

L.A. Meyer
The Bloody Jack adventures. "....while none of the characters overtly reminds me of MWT's characters, nevertheless reminds me overall of her genre by consisting of historical fiction (though in this case, it's real Napoleonic history, not alternate universe), intriguing and well-developed characters, adventure, a measure of international politics, and of course good writing."

Walter Miller
A Canticle for Leibowitz

Catherine Gilbert Murdoch
Dairy Queen, Off Season, and Front and Center. "Wonderful, wonderful characters."
Princess Ben. " I enjoyed the witty voice, the complex characters, and the fairy tales turned on their heads."

Garth Nix
especially The Abhorsen/Old Kingdom Books (start with Sabriel) and the Keys to the Kingdom series (start with Mister Monday).

Naomi Novik
The Temeraire series. "The Napoleonic Wars--with dragons! Great, relatable characters in amazing situations, more political intrigue, fun history revisionism, superb and exciting character development for everyone involved, and tactical/warfare scenes written in a way that is suspenseful and engaging (not usually my cup of tea, so this is really saying something).

Patrick O'Brian
The Aubrey-Maturin series--"some of my favorite books."

Kenneth Oppel
Airborn, Skybreaker, and Starclimber

Edith Pattou
East

Michelle Paver
"The Wolf Brother series...has great characters, a marvelous extended plot, and a bit of magic."

Sarah Prineas
The Magic Thief. "Fun and smart middle-grade fiction with a great thief."

Tamora Pierce
"Any of her books." And, more specifically, the Tortall books-- “I'm particularly fond of the original Alanna quartet, but the closest to MWT in terms of content is probably the Trickster duo, with spies, thieves, court politics, and interfering gods.”

Elizabeth Pope
The Sherwood Ring. "The main character has always reminded me a little of Gen."

Terry Pratchett
Night Watch. Of course it's better if you've read the other City Watch books first, but it also works beautifully on it's own. There's some political machinations, but the story is primarily about Sam Vimes (one of my all time favorite characters) dealing with a city poised to explode into violence."
Seconded, and a third person wrote "there are a LOT of books in this series but each book is a pleasure to read, and 'Nightwatch' is the crown jewel that makes you feel privileged to have read something so utterly great. If you find his eclectic, frenetic style a little distracting then you can start out with the Tiffany Aching series to warm up before diving into the deep end with 'Color of Magic' (the first book)."

Pullman, Philip
I rather enjoyed the His Dark Materials trilogy, mostly because it was so character-driven (especially The Subtle Knife).

Mary Renault
The King Must Die "held MANY echoes of the Queens Thief series for me. (It's a re-telling of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur). The Hellenic setting, and Theseus's relationship with his gods, and the fall of Crete... actually the echo is probably the other way: perhaps this is one of Turner's influences. Theseus's experience of religion is fascinating!!"

Riordan, Rick
"Percy Jackson and the Olympians would very much appeal to Sounisians, I think."

Ellen Raskin
The Westing Game "I...enjoyed the plot twist, though it's definitely written for younger readers."

Amelia Atwater Rhodes
Hawksong. "It's a lovely story about two monarchs coming together (in marriage for the sake of their kingdoms)"

Patrick Rothfuss
"The Name of the Wind. Much longer than Turner's books, and it's the first book of a yet-to-be-finished trilogy, but the main character is remarkably similar to a young, cynical Gen. There is some thievery, and it's one of the most impressive books I've read in ages."

Mary Doria Russell
The Sparrow and its sequel. "So moving and substantial."

Dorothy L. Sayers
The Lord Peter Whimsey books. "It's a fantastic series, with twists and turns, a lot of comedy, and fantastic characters - I suspect anyone who loves Gen would also love Peter!"

Kate Serendy
The Chestry Oak. "The story of a little prince living in Hungary before and during the Nazis invasion. Well written, unforgettable characters, and a lot of love."

Sharon Shinn
Summers at Castle Auburn. "Her books are a bit hit and miss with me, but Summers at Castle Auburn is the one book of hers I adore, and which everybody seems to love as well - well, I would not recommend it to somebody who loves military sf or something, but anybody who might be charmed by a story about princesses (though really it is not about that..)"
Also Mystic and Rider "a story about adventure, friendship, and true love!

Sherwood Smith
"Crown Duel, which isn't quite as well crafted as Turner's books, but whose plot and characters carried me happily along."
"Crown Duel is fabulous—battles, misguided heroine, mysterious marquis, political intrigue, a hint of magic... Pretty much everything you could ever want in a novel. :-)"
And also Wren's Quest, Wren to the Rescue, and Wren's War, and the Inda series.

Wen Spencer
Tinker, and "her Ukiah Oregon books, which [are] SF and wonderfully addictive too."
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. It's a fairly simple story following the friendship that forms between two couples over four decades. Stegner's prose is beautiful and he has such great insights into life, especially about friendship. If you're wanting something different, you should give it a try.

Robert Louis Stevenson
Kidnapped. Alan Breck and Gen are long-lost relatives (down to the Scottish accent!) [me--Gen has a Scottish accent????!!]

Caroline Stevermer
A College Of Magics and A Scholar of Magics--"great reads."

Mary Stewart
The Merlin Trilogy ("The Crystal Cave," "The Hollow Hills," and "The Last Enchantment")....are excellent. Like Megan Whalen Turner, their (more overtly historical) setting feels very real, but also mythic. If you enjoyed Gen's interactions with the Gods, you might be interested in Merlin's experience of power."

Maggie Stiefvater
Shiver (My fourth favorite book after MWT's!)

Jonathan Stroud
The Bartimaeus Trilogy. "Delightfully snarky humor, magic, political intrigue, and dynamic characters who make sometimes unpredictable choices."

Rosemary Sutcliff'
"I read The Shining Company, which was good but dark; I'm pretty sure her other books have got to be good as well. The prose was well-crafted and the characters were complex, though the plot wasn't as twisty as an MWT plot."
"I can highly recommend Rosemary's Sutcliffe's Mark of the Horse Lord. In the beginning of KofA, Costis echoes a line from the end of this book and it's a lot of fun to run into it."
Other Sutciff recommendations: The Eagle of the Ninth, The Lantern Bearers, The Shield Ring, Warrior Scarlet, and Knight's Fee

Kate Thompson
The New Policeman.

Hannah Tinti
The Good Thief. "It obviously involves thievery which I must admit is what attracted me to it in the first place, but it turned out to be excellent. The writing beautiful and witty."

Terry Trueman
Stuck in Neutral and Cruise Control

Joan D. Vinge
The Snow Queen "which is a science fiction rewrite of the traditional Norse fairytale of the same name. Again, deep characters and good writing, but this time in a different genre. It's one of my favorite books."

Cynthia Voigt
The Tillerman Cycle

Brent Weeks
The Night Angel Trilogy, starting with The Way of Shadows. “His world-building is fantastic, he delves into the complicated politics like MWT, but also like her, the characters are core. The main character actually is a street urchin (instead of pretending he was one ;) ) and it's about assassins rather than thieves, but who doesn't love assassins?”

Elizabeth E. Wein
“The Winter Prince reminded me of the Turner series, with political intrigue, beautiful prose, and nuanced characters.” And another commenter seconded this, recommending the whole series: The Winter Prince, A Coalition of Lions, The Sunbird, The Lion Hunter, The Empty Kingdom. I myself have read the last two, and agree that, in as much as they have character driven political trickiness, they are a good fit for us!

Martha Wells
"I particularly like City of Bones but the series that starts with the Wizard Hunters (followed by the Ships of Air and the Gate of the Gods) is good as is the Element of Fire."

Scott Westerfeld
Leviathan. "Clever plots, brilliantly lovable characters. . ."

Ellen Emerson White
The President's Daughter, White House Autumn,Long Live the Queen (Winner: ALA Best Book for Young Adults), Long May She Reign

N.D. Wilson
100 Cupboards and Dandelion Fire. "Fantastic stuff!"

Patricia Wrede
"The wondeful books she wrote in tandem with Caroline Stevermer. Sorcery and Cecilia, The Grand Tour and The Mislaid Magician. Also Mairelon the Magician. And from another commenter: "I especially like Magician's Ward, about a pickpocket in a magical period London, and Snow-White and Rose Red, a retelling of the fairy tale."

David Wyndham
The Chrysalids--"amazingly well-written."

Marcus Zusak
The Book Thief. "Similar to Turner's work in that the prose is gorgeous. (And there is some thievery...)"

So there you go. I hope you find something here to enjoy!

The winner of my Conspiracy of Kings ARC giveaway

The winner of my ARC giveaway is Free Narnian! (please contact me to let me know how to get it to you!)

Stay tuned for the compilation of the comment suggestions into a reading list for Megan Whalen Turner fans.

In My Mailbox--great holiday happiness thanks to Kristin Cashore

This is the first time I have ever taken part in the "In My Mailbox" meme. But some things are just so special that they have to be shared: Today I got home-made cookies from Kristin Cashore.


And signed copies of her books. Because this year I took part in the Blogger Secret Santa gift swap, and Kristin Cashore was my Secret Santa!!!!! Am I not lucky?

I feel especially lucky because Fire was on my Christmas wants list (see post below). And no one had gotten it for me, and I would have cried at Christmas. I haven't read it yet--although I did win an ARC at one point, it seems to have gotten lost in the mail, and by the time it was actually released, I was reading for the Cybils, so I am very happy.

And the cookies are very, very good!

Thank you Kristin!

Just a side note: today is the last day to enter my giveaway of my ARC of Conspiracy of Kings, which feels nicely symmetrical to me--balancing my happiness of today with another reader's happiness tomorrow. (And I guess, being extremely unselfish, that I could send the winner of my giveaway a few of my Kristin Cashore cookies, too...).

My Own Just Before Christmas Read-the-Books-I-Got-Last-Christmas Mini Challenge, plus my Wants List for this year!

Many of us get lots of books for Christmas. Books we have asked for, books we have been longing to read, books that we are thrilled to receive.

But then some of us end up with a sad little pile of books we got as presents that we know we want to read, and know we are going to enjoy, and which we are saving for that perfect moment...

I have three of these books, and I am going to read them before Christmas, perfect moment be danged.

I know that I have obligations. There are books that I got from publishers that I need to finish reading (waves apologetically to publishers). There are 24 books still to be read for the Cybils (waves cheerfully to fellow panelists). I have to tend my children off and on (does nothing that might attract the attention of children), go to work, etc.

But. In the next ten ten days, I am going to read: Ballet on Tour, by Nada Curcija-Prodanovic, The Bell at Sealy Head, by Patricia McKillip, and A Wind in Cairo, by Judith Tarr (I had a copy of this ages ago, read the first few chapters, and lost it....I wonder if I will like it!).

Because this Christmas, I am pretty sure I am getting more books. Here is the wants list I shared with my family (which is not the same as my "books I want to read list," in that these are ones I can't get from the library or am pretty sure I want to have forever).

New to list:

The Indra books by Sherwood Smith
Twelve, Jasper Bull (UK)
Hardcover of Chalice, by Robin Mckinley
Holiday Summer Decie Merwin
Margaret Mayhew's The Little Ship
Fire Kristin Cashore
Fire by Robin Mckinley and Peter Dickinson
The Golden Shore by Elinor Lyon
Robina Beckles-Wilson A Time To Dance
A Wind is Blowing, by Monica Edwards

On list last year:

Katherine of Feather Ghyll Anne Bradley
Margo Benary-Isbert The Wicked Enchantment
Monica Redlich Jam Tomorrow
Philip Turner Dunkirk Summer
William Mayne Words and Music,
Noel Streatfeild The Children on the Top Floor, The Bell Family.
Stevenson, D.E. Spring Magic, Four Windows, hardcover of The Four Graces, hardcover of The Tall Stranger
Saville, Malcom All Summer Through, Christmas at Nettlefield, Ewing,
Juliana Mary’s Meadow and Other Tales of Fields and Flowers
Jean Estroail Drina Ballerina
Cartell, Esme Rescue at Ravendell

Anyone who wants to join me in this particular challenge is more than welcome to!